Federal Health Agency awards $3.2 million grant to study the impact of marijuana on cancer immunotherapy treatment

Researchers will receive $3.2 million from the federal agency for health to study cannabis use while undergoing immunotherapy to treat cancer, and whether marijuana access helps to reduce health disparities.

The University of Buffalo announced that one of their psychiatrists received a research grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute. This funding will be used to conduct a study for an entire year, assessing how cannabis use affects cancer treatments.

UB, in partnership with Thomas Jefferson University and Oregon Health and Science University, will carry out this study at three sites. Each site will recruit 450 cancer patients being treated by immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is less harmful than chemotherapy and boosts the body’s own natural defenses to protect healthy cells.

UB reports that about 40% of cancer patients use marijuana to relieve pain, improve their mood, and sleep better. There are virtually no long-term studies that evaluate the potential benefits and harms of marijuana for people who have been treated with immunotherapy, even though cancer and its treatment is a qualifying condition in 37 states, including Washington, D.C., which has legalized medical or adult cannabis.

Although the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabinoids are generally a “good” thing, especially when it comes down to reducing pain levels, this effect can also suppress immunity.

Ashare stated that there are concerns about cannabis reducing the effectiveness of immunotherapy. The need for evidence is evident and this project is an important step towards that goal, as both cannabis and immunotherapy are increasingly accepted therapeutic options by oncologists and patients.

UB #psychology Associate Professor, Rebecca Ashare, Ph.D., has received a major NCI Grant to study the effect of cannabis on immunotherapy treatment. #UBuffalo https://t.co/irlAFAuMTZ

— UB Psychology October 25, 2020

In the observational study half of the participants are cannabis users who will use their products, and the other is non-users. Researchers will analyze “medical records and patient outcomes, as well as blood samples taken at six different points over the course of a year.”

The NCI grant is also being used to investigate “the impact of neighborhood disadvantages on outcomes related cannabis use and immunotherapy.”

Ashare stated, “We are interested in seeing if cannabis access reduces health disparities.” We have a multidisciplinary team that has expertise in cancer symptom control, medical cannabis and health equity. This research will ultimately have a lasting impact on cancer symptom management, and improve patient safety and care.

A NCI official discussed the agency’s desire to promote research on the relationship between marijuana and cancer treatment during a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine meeting held last month. He stated that although most oncologists had spoken to patients about marijuana only a small number reported being sufficiently knowledgeable about the topic.

In a previous notice, NCI also highlighted areas of cannabis research that it is interested in funding.

A recent study has found that regular cannabis use was associated with better cognition and decreased pain in cancer patients and chemotherapy recipients.

The American Medical Association published a study late last year which linked state cannabis legalization to reduced opioid prescriptions for certain cancer patients.